The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, said yesterday he was "pleased" that Israeli forces have now withdrawn from several Palestinian towns. "I'm pleased that this withdrawal now seems to be well under way," he told NBC television.
Mr Powell said he would be returning to the Middle East to resume his peace mission "in the not too distant future".
In a separate interview with Fox News Sunday, he denied he was snubbed by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, whom he said was ill and unable to meet him at the final stop of his Middle East visit. "I wasn't expecting to see him," Mr Powell said.
On Saturday, it was the turn of American Palestinians and their supporters to have their say on the streets of Washington which became a city of protests. Their message - to end the $3 billion a year cash and political support for Israel.
At least five separate marches on issues ranging from the Middle East and Afghanistan to globalisation-- the IMF and World Bank's bosses are in town for their spring meeting - and economic justice in the US converged on Pennsylvania Avenue on the way to the Capitol. The police put the numbers at up to 75,000, making it by far the biggest demonstration of support for Palestine that this country has seen.
But, even at that, it fell far short of the crowd that assembled on Monday with one simpler message: "Hands off Israel". And the Palestinians could not muster the sort of political clout that had seen the bipartisan leadership of both Houses line up on a platform to pledge support for Israel's defence.
Protesters marched with two open wooden coffins bearing young sisters of Palestinian descent. When Philastine Mustafa (7) was overcome by the heat, a young boy quickly took her place.
"My people back home her age are being killed," the girls' father, Mr Anwar Mustafa (33), from Philadelphia, said. "Me and my daughters can spend a little time in the heat to show people who don't know."
Back near the White House police had sealed off access to the IMF and World Bank headquarters where world financial powers were meeting. Across the street, a 30-ft inflated Earth bearing a "For Sale" sign and the Citibank logo was erected.
On the Mall a counter-demonstration of about 100 gathered to show their support for US policies. Among their placards were signs that read "Peace through superior fire power".
